A Baby For All Seasons
Submitted by Kerry on Sat, 2007-08-11 21:38.
Children being viewed as a commodity, that can be bought to fit the parents needs; it is expressedly voiced, by so-called superstar Ricky Martin. Wanting a child from each continent reads to me like words from a collector not from a parent to be.
Latin superstar Ricky Martin has indicated that he'll soon be creating a family for himself -- and he plans to make it a global effort, telling reporters recently that he'd like to adopt a child "from each continent." According to Ricky, a "family of many colors" is something "we want to begin to create this year." Perhaps wary of the troubles which Madonna encountered while adopting her son David, Ricky says that the process will not be rushed, and that he wants "to do it right."
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Madonna, the Virgin?
Does Ricky plan on starting his own family through an Immaculate Conception, or by taking a child away from another woman who birthed her own child, thereby ripping apart an already formed family?
I wonder, is Ricky a religious fella, or just one who like to join the popular band-wagon?
What are they, colors, crayons, or children?
This topic burns me up. It's one thig to keep a child away from his/her natural mother for an entire lifetime. That's bad enough. But I believe it's made so much worse when that child is taken away from his own home-land as well. There is a culture, a climate, a language, a heritage, a social, and a spiritual pride that goes with each human race of people. We may not understand each culture, but does that make one group all bad, and another one all good? I find it so incredibly arrogant and offensive for the adoption baby-seekers who go outside their own state-lines to hunt-down babies when you know damn well there are children in huge high-risk situations literally dying for help and attention by someone - ANYONE - in their own back yards and neighborhoods but not getting it, because the almighty dollar is investing itself in a baby elsewhere.
SHAME on those who place more value on smaller packages, in other countries!!! What sort of government incentive is there to this adoption plan and program of international trading have? (because you know there is one!)
It really should force the average Jane and Joe to think: what is motivating people to show an interest in adoption these days? Is it the need to nurture a child in temporary need, or is it a greed that's green with envy (money can be made from this situation) and notoriety ("Look at us! Look at all that we are doing to 'save-the-world!'"). I believe either motive is equally wrong.
“I don’t care if they’re black, white, green or purple”
by Carmen Van Kerckhove
Love love love this cartoon from The K Chronicles, the same strip that brought us That One Black Kid. Click on it to see the full comic.
It’s the typical bull you hear from people who claim to be colorblind. Reminds me of one commenter on Anti-Racist Parent who wrote:
In response, the always awesome Jae Ran Kim wrote:
Changing Seasons...
There is a REASON why certain people are against the profiting industry of adoption. It's become a matter of supply and demand, and I deeply believe taking one for another is morally wrong. One should never expect or demand the right to have a child. Such logic needs to be seen as damaging to all families around the world. A child is a gift, and a reminder that life in a particular family and region must go on, and not be traded no matter how much money can be made by the transaction.
It will be interesting to see how Ricky Martin and friends plan to develop their new mission, as news today reports the following:
Ricky Martin Visits Cambodian Center
By KER MUNTHIT – 14 hours ago
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hvHcdcV0rqZADSvQJvycNUaoP3pQD8VND47O0
SIEM REAP, Cambodia (AP) — Ricky Martin met with victims of sexual exploitation Saturday during a visit to Cambodia to promote the fight against human trafficking.
Martin held infants and listened to a 14-year-old rape victim's song during his visit to a shelter in the northwestern city of Siem Reap, home of the famed Angkor temples.
"She sings like an angel," Martin said after the girl finished a song she composed about the plight of trafficking victims.
The girl was among 65 victims sheltered at the rescue center of Afesip, a French non-governmental group working to combat human trafficking in Cambodia.
The pop star also held the 3-month-old daughter of a 22-year-old woman who was sold by her father to a brothel and is now HIV-positive. The woman broke down in tears as she urged Martin to keep fighting against human trafficking.
"I'm not going to stop," Martin said, pounding his fist on his knee as he sat on a tiled floor. "All of you are my heroes. You are a gift of my life."
Martin, who arrived in the country Wednesday, met with Interior Minister Sar Kheng and visited various projects run by non-governmental organizations fighting child trafficking and sexual exploitation.
Martin learned of Cambodia's child trafficking problems in February during a three-day U.N. conference in Vienna. He joined Oscar-winning actress Emma Thompson, Egyptian first lady Suzanne Mubarak and other dignitaries in calling for action.
In its annual human rights report released recently, the U.S. State Department called Cambodia "a source, destination and transit country for men, women, and children trafficked for sexual exploitation and labor."
Still, Martin praised Cambodia as an example of some "solid and concrete" efforts against human trafficking.
"The fact that you have 200 non-governmental groups working in the country working on human trafficking is unheard of," he said.
Martin said he plans to take what he learned in Cambodia and use it to "motivate people, organizations, governments in Latin America" in their efforts to combat the same problems. The Ricky Martin Foundation does most of its work in Latin America.
Martin was due to leave Cambodia on Sunday.
More on Cambodia
Here is a video of a presentation given by Richard Cross, Federal Senior Special Agent, US Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Human Trafficking Unit, who tells what really happened in Cambodia
Maybe Cambodia was too controversial?
It seems Ricky found a way to have his babies and rid the woman, too. According to the UK's "Guardian" (pun not intended):
Since it was a surrogacy situation resulting in twins, I suppose one could say he certainly got more bangs from his bucks.